Stargazing
by angelwings2001
Summary: Usagi amd Mamoru have been best friends since they were babies. Each time they see the stars, they wish for eternal friendship... But now that they're in high school, it's changed. How can things go back to normal?


Stargazing  
  
A/N: Hey minna! This is my first Sailor Moon fic, I hope you like it! One other thing... * sigh * I don't own Sailor Moon, and I also don't own the plot (I wish I did.) This story is loosely based off of one of the Ribon Manga stories (they are so cute!) And I say loosely based off of because I don't know how the lines go; it's all in Japanese.   
Note: Usagi and Mamoru are the same age here, for my convenience.  
  
  
  
* 7 years old *  
  
A small Tsukino Usagi stood on the steps of her porch, gazing out at the sea of stars above her. Beside her sat Chiba Mamoru, her neighbor and best friend. They marveled at the beauty before them.  
  
"Ne, Usa, isn't it pretty?"  
  
"Hai, Mamo-chan. It's kakkoi."  
  
"When I grow old, I'm gonna study the stars!"  
  
"Well maybe I will too. Hey! A shooting star! Can we make a wish, Mamo-chan?"  
  
"Un. Close your eyes real tight and wish."  
  
The two kids squeezed their eyes shut and started to wish.  
  
'I wish to be best friends with Mamo-chan forever.'  
  
'I wish to always be close to Usa.'  
  
When they opened their eyes, they glanced at each other with somber looks, then broke into giggles.  
  
"Usagi-chan! Mamoru-kun! Time to go to sleep!" Mamoru's mother yelled.  
  
"Hai!" they called back.  
  
"Ja ne, Mamo-chan!" Usagi started off towards her house, next door.  
  
"Ja, Usa."  
  
  
* 9 years old *  
  
Happily laughing at a friend's joke, Usagi peeled the potatoes by the camp sink. A short while later, Usagi called out to her counselor "I've got to go to the bathroom! I'll be back!"  
  
"Hai! Be careful, Usagi-chan! It's getting a little dark!"  
  
Usagi stepped out into the woods, walking on the trail towards the bathroom. On her way, she started to get scared, thinking about all of the monsters she had heard about. Suddenly, there was a cracking sound. Usagi whimpered, and started to shrink back.  
  
"BOO!!!!" yelled Mamoru, jumping out of the bushes.  
  
"AHH!!!!!" A still frightened Usagi jumped back and started to cry.  
  
"Aww, come on Usa! Don't cry! I was just having fun!"  
  
"Mamo-chan! You know how I am about monsters!"  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. Where were you going this late, then?"  
  
"To the bathroom," she replied simply.  
  
"Fine then, I'll go with you, ok?"  
  
"Really? Arigatou, Mamo-chan." Usagi wiped away her tears with her sleeve and held her hand out.  
  
"No problem." He took her hand and they began to walk down the path silently.  
  
"Usa, look! It's a bunch of meteors!"  
  
"Wow..."  
  
The kids walked slowly on, forgetting about everything but the stars above and the warm hand grasping their own.  
  
  
* 12 years old *  
  
Usagi stood on the school's upper pool deck, looking out at the crowded swimming area below, and sighed. Her friend Monami was taking a long time to change. She felt uncomfortable standing outside by herself; there were a bunch of guys who kept passing by and eyeing Usagi.  
  
Although she didn't know it, Usagi was beautiful; not a single guy could resist her long, slender legs, silky blonde hair, and blue eyes. Well, except for one, perhaps. Chiba Mamoru. Despite the coming years of adolescence, the two remained close friends. However, their classmates thought otherwise.  
  
When Monami finally came out, Usagi called out to her.  
  
"Monami-chan! Over here!"  
  
Monami ran over to Usagi and started chattering excitedly. "Usagi-chan! Did you see Mamoru-kun! He looks so hot!!!! I'm so in love with him!"  
  
Usagi smiled lopsidedly at her friend's words. "Sure, Monami-chan. Whatever you say."  
  
"You don't like him, do you?"  
  
"Nani!?!? Mamo-cha-I mean Mamoru-kun! No way!" 'I almost let his nickname slip.' While Usagi didn't like Mamoru in that way, they agreed to not call each other by their nicknames when talking to other people. Mamoru had said 'They might get the wrong idea. I don't want that to happen.'  
  
Mamoru had changed greatly over the years. The little boy with shining sapphire eyes and a toothy grin had grown into a tall, handsome teenager. He had been such a sweet boy, but lately he had been colder to Usagi, telling her to stop hanging out with the guys so much; to be more like other girls. It was sad, really. Usagi never wanted to be a true girl, she had been a tomboy at heart. But, pressured by her peers and parents, she became what they wanted her to be.  
  
"What did you just call him? I knew it! You like him!" Monami's words snapped Usagi back to reality. Her friend turned away from her friend in tears.  
  
"Monami-chan! It's not like that! I swear! We're just friends!" Usagi was surprised at her friend's sudden accusation, and deeply hurt as well.  
  
Monami just looked at her. "Well, I guess you don't. But promise me that you'll get him to talk to me?"  
  
"Un. Anything for my friends!" Usagi broke out into a sunny smile, knowing that her friend was ok now.  
  
They skipped off, heading towards the pool, and Mamoru.  
  
  
* 14 years old *  
  
Usagi looked through the telescope lens on the top of her school, still amazed at the sight of the stars. She had joined the astronomy club that year; it was the first time it had been offered. Not surprisingly, Mamoru had joined as well.  
  
'Mamo-chan...' After all these years of his friendship, Usagi had fallen in love. She turned to her left, and spoke to the boy next to her. "It's still as kakkoi as ever, ne Mamo-chan?"  
  
Mamoru turned back to Usagi. "I told you; don't call me that anymore, Usagi-chan! We aren't kids. Grow up and stop being such a wishful child!" His eyes flashed angrily at her before he turned away to talk to the sensei.  
  
Usagi trembled at Mamoru's harsh words. She knew he didn't mean for the words to come out like that; he just wanted her to treat him as a classmate and not a childhood friend. He wouldn't have been that way, but Mamoru's recent friends had started a rule: you can only love a girl or be her classmate. He didn't want to be in a relationship, but Mamoru didn't know how to treat his best friend. So, he had resorted to being cold.  
  
Before Usagi could do or say anything, a hand touched her shoulder. She turned around to face a classmate, Motoki, who had a worried look on his face. "Are you alright, Usagi-chan?"  
  
She put on a small smile. "Hai."  
  
"Usagi-chan, can I ask you something?"  
  
"...I guess so..."  
  
"Well, I like you a lot, and I was wondering if you would go out with me?"  
  
"Oh, Motoki-kun, gomen-nasai! You're a nice person, but I don't like you back..."  
  
He looked down with a disappointed face. "It's ok... I should have guessed."  
  
"We're still friends, right?"  
  
He smiled, "Hai!"  
  
(The Next Day)  
  
Usagi walked down the school hallway, clutching an old blanket. It was the one she had gotten from Mamoru, when they were young. She hung on to it tightly as tears started to come.  
  
Just then, Monami came up, crying. "Usagi-chan, how could you?"  
  
Usagi looked up into Monami's eyes and knew what she was talking about. "Monami-chan, I'm so sorry..." she whispered.  
  
"I trusted you! I told you how I felt for Mamoru-kun, and then you start to like him! You've always liked him, haven't you?"  
  
"No, I didn't! Monami-chan, you have to believe me! I don't want to like him, but it's not something I can stop!"  
  
Monami just turned away angrily. Usagi felt bad for treating her friend in such a way, but she honestly couldn't stop herself from liking Mamoru.  
  
  
(Cherry Blossom Festival, 1 week later)  
  
Lanterns were everywhere, brightly dancing among the crowd of booths and people. Usagi and Monami walked towards the crowd together, in matching outfits. They wore light pink kimonos, with cherry blossoms and rabbits, straw sandals, and carried matching fans and small bags. Usagi had her hair in braided pigtail loops, while Monami had her brown hair in a bun. They giggled to each other lightly.  
  
"Monami-chan, I'm so glad we're friends again!"  
  
"Hai, me too! I wonder if Motoki-kun is coming!"  
  
"That's so sweet! I'm sure he'll be here looking for you!" Usagi smiled at the mutual crush between her friends.  
  
"And maybe Mamoru-kun will be here too, ne, Usagi-chan?" Monami smiled and gave a wink.  
  
Usagi just looked down. "I don't think so, Monami-chan. He said he doesn't want to be friends." The two had spent all week avoiding one another.  
  
When Usagi and Monami had spotted the rest of their friends, they walked along in a group. Despite Mamoru's absence, Usagi managed to have a nice time. Then, just before she was about to leave, Usagi saw Mamoru.  
  
He was standing about 5 feet away from her, wearing a blue button-down shirt and black jeans. Just when Usagi saw Mamoru, he turned around and looked at her.  
  
Usagi was taken aback by the look in Mamoru's eyes. They were full of sorrow and regret. He walked up to Usagi.  
  
"Can I walk home with you?"  
  
Usagi smiled faintly. "Hai."  
  
  
(On the Way Home)  
  
"My feet are so cold!" complained Usagi.  
  
"Here, take my shoes."  
  
Usagi looked at Mamoru in surprise. He held out his shoes, and stood there in his socks.  
  
"Arigatou."  
  
He smiled at her.  
  
"Why did you say all those thing to me?"  
  
Mamoru looked the other way, his head down.  
  
"Well, all of my friends kept talking about you, and how pretty you were, and how you were in all these clubs. And each time I heard them, I got this feeling inside of me; I don't know how to explain it. Each year I watched you as you grew prettier and prettier, and kept making all these new guy friends from your clubs. I guess I was jealous, Usa..."  
  
Usagi looked at Mamoru, with tears in her eyes, and it struck her that he has just called her Usa.  
  
Mamoru averted his gaze upwards, towards the stars again, and he reached his hand out instinctively to hold Usagi's.  
  
She tilted her head up to look at the stars as well, and said quietly, "Arigatou, Mamo-chan."  
  
The two teens walked along the starlit road together, holding hands in peace.  
  
* owari *  



End file.
